Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!-Chapter 84: Downfall I

Chapter 84 - Downfall 1

Aaron woke up the morning after and felt refreshed. Yesterday felt like a blur; being down with fever and cold wasn’t part of his schedule.

The sunlight radiating through his bedroom window seemed brighter somehow, as if mocking the darkness that had settled over his life these past days.

He stretched, feeling the familiar ache in his muscles from the restless night he’d spent tossing and turning, Katherine’s sad, dejected, angry face haunting his dreams.

Raymond dropped by Aaron’s house to check on him and grinned with his boyish face. "I thought it would be your corpse I’d see this morning," he joked, patting Aaron’s back softly.

"Then your plan failed to cry at my funeral," Aaron responded, then touched his stinging cheek, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through his jaw.

Fuck! That blonde had a strong fist.

Raymond tilted his head, studying Aaron’s face with a raised brow. "This wasn’t there yesterday," he murmured, his fingers hovering over the angry red mark. "What happened?"

"Well, shit went down and Amanda," Aaron gritted her name out like a nasty curse, the name tasting bitter on his tongue. Just saying her name, remembering her existence made his blood pressure rise.

"What did that clown do?" Raymond’s voice dropped an octave, like he should have known that woman was already the problem.

"Amanda lied to Katherine about being pregnant and Katherine," he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the familiar throb of a headache building behind his eyes, "believed her and locked me out like the first time." He sighed, dropping his hands on the counter, his hand rubbing his head in slow, circular motions.

The memory of Katherine’s devastated face flashed before him, making his chest tighten with regret, sadness and anger.

"Holy mother of shit!" Raymond cursed, his eyes widening in disbelief. "The goddess is angry." He stated the obvious. "What are you going to do now?"

"Amanda has done it now and there’s no way out of it," Aaron stated, clenching his fist.

"Are we sticking to the earlier plan?" Raymond asked, taking the ointment from the counter as he applied it gently on Aaron’s cheek, his movements careful and gentle.

"Fuck, gently." Aaron cautioned, his jaw clenching as Raymond rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, tomorrow, I want everything to end." The finality in his voice rang in the room. "It’s what I should have done since."

"Okay boss, count it done." Raymond’s response came immediately, grinning from the new mission.

.

Amanda turned on the music, a wine glass in hand as she gently danced to the classic melody. The rich burgundy liquid swirled in the glass, catching the afternoon light that reflected through the windows.

Even though she didn’t get the reaction from Katherine she’d hoped for, her plan had really worked. She danced slowly, her hair swishing around her shoulders, pausing to take a sip of her drink, savoring the bitter-sweet taste that matched her mood perfectly.

There was no happiness greater than this; she had gotten what she wanted. Katherine had broken off with Aaron. The thought sent a thrill through her body, making her feel alive in a way she hadn’t in months.

Amanda moved her body, hands swaying to the rhythm, her eyes closed with pure exhilaration. She couldn’t get the happiness out of her bloodstream; it was like blood coursing from her heart through her body excitedly.

Then her jubilation came to a halt when her phone rang, her brow creasing in annoyance. She dropped the glass on the table with a sharp clink and picked up her phone, her fingers sliding across the screen.

Aaron’s name flashed on the screen and she licked her lower lips – now he was calling her? Amanda laughed humorlessly, not interested in what he wanted to say.

Amanda rolled her eyes, swiped red and hung up. She didn’t have the energy or strength to talk to Aaron right now.

She needed to think and formulate a plan, and mentally prepare herself on how to appear weak and pitiful.

After three repeated calls from Aaron which she didn’t pick, she quickly ran to the bathroom. The tiled floors were cold against her bare feet as she filled the tub with scalding water, adding lavender oil to calm her nerves.

She had a bath and applied makeup to cover the bags under her eyes. She put on a dazzling green gown which stopped at her knees.

When she was done, she cleared her throat, flopped on her seat as she called Aaron back. Her heart hammered against her ribs, but she forced her voice to remain steady.

"Hello dear husband, do you miss me?" she purred, smiling even though he couldn’t see her.

"You lying manipulative—" Aaron’s angry voice boomed out in rage, his voice cold, dangerous and hard. The anger in his voice made her stomach twist; she grimaced yet smiled.

"Oh husband, what do you mean?" Amanda feigned innocence as she stared at her nails as if they were the most beautiful things in the world.

"You know what I mean!"

"Calm down, hus—"

Aaron cut her off angrily, "If you call me that again, I swear I’ll destroy you."

"You can’t say that!" Amanda’s voice cracked slightly as she gripped the phone.

"Try me," he growled, and she could practically hear his teeth grinding together. "Just fucking try me and I’ll show you what happens when you mess with what’s mine."

Amanda swallowed hard at the threat; it sent shivers down her spine and she felt fear for the first time since this whole thing started. She didn’t doubt or couldn’t doubt what Aaron said now. He’d really do that.

She’d seen—no, heard news, rumors about how he destroyed business rivals, how he behaved in the business world. The man was ruthless when needed, and she had just touched that side of his ruthlessness.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to center herself. "I—I just—"

"Just what?" he asked, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "You fucking told Katherine you were pregnant with my child?"

Amanda shivered again from how venomous the word ’pregnant’ sounded coming from his lips, and willed herself to calm down. "I am," she responded, lying through her teeth with practiced ease.

Aaron released a humorless laugh, the sound sharp and cutting. "Pregnant?" he asked incredulously. "Are you delusional, Amanda?"

"I’m not." But even as she said it, she could feel the end of her response tremble.

"How the fuck will I get you pregnant when I never touched you? Are you insane?"

The truth hit her in the gut because she knew, he knew and they both knew nothing had happened between them. And yet, hearing that from his voice—the disgust in his voice made her chest tighten.

"I’m your wife and I’m pregnant."

"Go give the father of the child to him and I’m done with you," he said, each word deliberate and final. "You have done it now."

"You can’t mean that. We are married—"

"And congratulations, you’ve messed up. The lies we built called marriage is over."

"Aaron, no no," Amanda stood up now, pacing anxiously across her living room. She didn’t think it would lead to this and she just wanted Katherine out, not Aaron out. "Please don’t do this," her voice trembling in full HD now. "I’m sorry."

"You weren’t sorry when you lied or when you tried to ruin my life." His voice was flat, emotionless, which somehow made it worse than his earlier rage.

"I did it because I love you!" Amanda yelled; she couldn’t keep her cool now. The words tore from her throat like a desperate prayer that she prayed to be answered. She was scared everything would end now. If Aaron left her, her life was over. Five years—the ultimatum her father had given her—remained only a few months and then everything was becoming so messed up!

Amanda pulled her hair she had styled perfectly earlier, but then she didn’t care. Strands came loose in her fingers, making her hair messy and all around.

"Love," came a scoff-like laugh, then Amanda could hear something smack against a table through the phone and jolted in fear. "You’re tossing that word at me?"

"What about the baby?"

"What’s my concern with the baby?" His voice was cold, and she could practically feel the coldness making the hair on her arms stand up.

"You’ll receive the contract termination tonight."

"Wait—Aaron, please—" she didn’t finish before he hung up.

No, no, no, she screamed into the empty room. This can’t be happening, her voice echoing in the room as she gripped her phone hard, she saw as her phone chimed and the screen lit up with a new message from Aaron.

"If you value yourself, sign it and I’ll forgive everything you’ve done. But if you prove to be stubborn, I’ll make you regret everything."

Amanda’s hands trembled as she read the message again and again, each word burning itself into her memory. "It’s not over," she whispered to the empty room, her reflection staring back at her from the mirror.

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